Edward Branson


Edward B. Branson was an American geologist and paleontologist. He worked at the University of Missouri.

Overview of career

In 1915, he wrote a paper on the origin of thick gypsum and salt deposits.
In 1931, he and Mehl described the extinct genus of heterostracan agnathan Cardipeltis in the Jefferson Formation of Utah.
in 1932, Branson and Mehl reported the presence of Carboniferous-aged fossil footprints of a new ichnospecies in the Tensleep Formation of Wyoming. They named the tracks Steganoposaurus belli and attributed them to an amphibian nearly three feet in length.
The same year, he and Mehl named a new kind of Late Triassic dinosaur footprint discovered in the Popo Agie Formation of western Wyoming. The new ichnogenus and species was named Agialopus wyomingensis.
In 1933, also with Mehl, he described the conodont species Wurmiella excavata.
In 1934, with Mehl, he described the conodont genera Pseudopolygnathus and Ancyrognathus.
In 1938, with Mehl, he reviewed the conodont genus Icriodus.
In 1941, he and Mehl described several conodont genera: Bactrognathus, Doliognathus, Scaliognathus, Staurognathus and Taphrognathus.
Also in 1941, with C.C. Branson, he reviewed the geology of the Wind River Mountains in Wyoming.
In 1944, he described with Mehl the conodont genus Siphonodella.
In 1947, with C.C. Branson, he reviewed the Lower Silurian conodonts from Kentucky.
In 1951, with Mehl and C.C. Branson, he published an article about the Richmond Group conodonts of Kentucky and Indiana.